We arrived in Shetland after a blustery overnight sail from Stornoway – nearly the whole trip done wing on wing with the wind right behind us. It was a rolly night!

We’d hoped to be able to stop in a little island, Mousa where there’s a very old Broch – round tower built around 400 – 200BC for defense or habitation – but it was blowing 25, gusting to 30 when we went passed, making the anchorage untenable, so we moved on to Lerwick where we stay for three nights enjoying the benefits of life attached to a dock!

We’ve now moved up to northern Shetland and enjoyed some nice weather for a change – allowing us to get out and about on the moors. Stunning scenery when it’s bright and cheerful weather!

Lovey anchorage

Impressive cliffs

Walking in Shetland

Strange rock formations – does this look like a drinking horse?

Volcanic coastline – reminiscent of the Azores

Strange looking Shetland Sheep

Pretty…

This one must be short sighted!

After our walk on the Postman’s Trail, we decided that since the weather was going to be nice, we’d do another – this one the Coffin Trail – where they used to bring coffins from the east coast to the hallowed ground on the west… Much like the Corpse Way in upper Swaledale.

Weather wasn’t as promised, but we had a nice walk nonetheless.

The Coffin Trail

Jeez… What am I doing here???

Beach! I see a beach!!!

We left Tarbert which had been a lovely base for us and headed out to an overnight stop at the Shiant Islands – uninhabited but for countless seabirds. Staying overnight is only recommended in settle weather – which we had – but even so, it was a rolly evening. The birds were all over the place – Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, Cormorants, Gulls (Kittiwakes pehaps) all nesting in the nearby rocky shoreline and flying all over us. In the morning we were glad it was raining – to clean off the worst of the guano!

Not a dirty lens – those birds are all over us!

Puffins and Razorbills

Razor Hanky Panky

We’re now in Stornoway – little bits of which I remember from our holiday with parents when I was probably 8 or 9. Great spot for some provisioning – plus we managed to pick up a vital part for the watermaker – so water is once again plentiful aboard Toodle-oo!

We’ll leave here tomorrow for an overnight passage to the Shetland Isles – with luck it won’t be quite as boisterous as I fear it might be…

Did a neat walk today – to Reingeadal. This used to be an isolated village of between 20 then 200 then 10 now 20 people – without road access. You got here by boat – or by the Postman’s Trail – a 4 mile hike (each way) from Tarbert – which the Postman did twice each week until the late 1980’s!

We did it today and got absolutely soaked! Not an easy walk – with steep ups and downs… Wouldn’t want to do it at Christmastime!

On the way back…

A fixer upper!

Half way along we go down – steeply

On the other side of the climb

On the way up from Tarbert

From Canna we headed over to Barra – unfortunately no wind so we motored. Fortunately, the wind did come around and we had a nice sail for the last 2 – 3 hours on a gorgeous day.

We anchored in Castlebay – giving the ferry terminal a wide berth (I thought…). Another sailboat came close past us and told us that the Harbourmaster had suggested we might want to move Toodle-oo! since we’d be right in the road. So we did… Sure enough, a couple of hours later a BIG ferry comes in and would have most definitely plowed us under if we’d stayed!

Castlebay was a bit of a bust – though at least we were able to stock up on some provisions at the Co-op and got a wifi fix at the farmers cooperative – as well as doing some laundry. However, with significant winds from the north, it was the sensible option with good shelter.

After a couple of days we moved the 4 miles or so down to Vatersay – famous for it’s white sand beach – which could have come straight out of the Caribbean – though unfortunately everyone was wearing winter coats instead of skimpy bathers! We had a lovely walk around the island – the only complaint for which is that they tend to leave dead agricultural implements all over the place!

Deserted village on south Vatersay

Just one of the splendid beaches

Yours trully

Magnificent beach

After Vatersay, we had a lovely sail up to Eriksay and parked ourselves in a tiny natural harbour with a fishing pier. The fishermen were really pretty productive and we watched them unloading their catches of crabs and lobsters – quite the harvest. A couple of crabs and a lobster made it onto Toodle-oo! and we had a fine feast!

Delicious Crab and Lobster

Wind is due to come in strong from the north, so we set off a little earlier than planned, all the way up to East Loch Tarbert some 55 miles away. Again,  we started off motoring but a fine wind filled in and we had a great sail into Tarbert where we anchored in a ridiculously small bay with seals all around us.

He sees me…

Ready for a swim?

We’ll probably move around to the pontoon in Tarbert (if there is one) so that we can grab wifi and hopefully partake of a laundry facility – the cruisers constant concern!

We’re still in Canna – waiting out some weather – 30 knots gusting to 40+ due tonight and tomorrow… Would have been a boisterous ride today with nasty sloppy seas…

Not a bad place to hang though…

Not a bad view of Rum from our anchorage in Canna…

It’s been a rather hectic start this year with all sorts going on with final boat preparations and a delay in getting out of Whitehaven followed by a three week cruise that we led from Caernarfon to Islay – and meanwhile a new forum software introduction for the OCC – of which I am the Administrator (needless to say – it didn’t go quite as smoothly as one would have hoped). Anyway, we’re now back into cruise mode and a bit more relaxed…

Visas: So it’s been a bit of a mystery recently working out if Laurie can stay over this side of the pond should her Portuguese citizenship application take as long as we expect it to. The answer appears to be yes and no… Because I’m a Brit (and still an EU citizen), she can accompany me around Europe – super! BUT… she can’t stay more than 6 months in the UK, unless she gains residency – which we can get by living in another EU country for 3 months and then apply to the UK while living in that country… Once she arrives in the UK she can then begin the process of residency… All rather bizarre that she has better access to Europe than she does to the UK, based on my UK passport…

We had thought we might stay in the UK this summer – in Scotland – but this ruling means we’re close to the end of the 6 months she has so we’re still planning to head up to Norway after the Outer Hebrides. Weather permitting, we’ll leave Stornoway Mid/late June and head straight up to the Lofotens. Remarkably, I think we’ve actually held this plan since about February – must be a record!

The OCC Celtic Cruise was a success – we only had 9 boats in the end, some of which struggled with the distances, but overcame the challenges and everyone made it to Islay for the Malts and Music week. We had some cracking sails during the cruise and were blessed with some really nice weather – though a few degrees warmer would have been welcome!

Parade of Sail in front of Caernarfon Castle – Home to the Royal Welsh Yacht Club

Ocean Hobo with Contessina alongside with Paps of Jura in the background.

Bluenote II trying to keep up with Toodle-oo!

Pipers playing us in to the Lagavulin open day – much free Scotch on offer!!!

The Singing sands of Port Ellen, Islay – ‘cept they weren’t!

We left Islay at the end of the Celtic Cruise and sailed back up the Sound of Jura instead of heading directly to the Hebrides because of wind forecasts (not as fast this time – but we did manage to sail much of it). We stopped in the lovely little anchorage we were in on the cruise – Puilladobhrain – and then headed up to Tobermory the following day – motoring the whole way.

We’re now in Canna having sailed in really wet weather and arrived to see what might be a lovely island – if we could see it! This morning the cloud has lifted a little so we’re getting glimpses and will head ashore and go in search of a walk of some description. Canna is the furthest west of the Small Islands and therefore we hope a great jumping off point for Vatersay tomorrow – though it might be a bit of a boisterous ride…

Lying to anchor in Canna Harbour with free wifi from the ferry dock!